Dax restaurant is open for business and taking bookings for Christmas

AN article attached to the Paolo Tullio restaurant review in yesterday's Weekend magazine published with the Irish Independent suggested that top Dublin restaurant Dax, Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, had closed. This is incorrect. Dax Restaurant continues to trade successfully and is taking bookings for Christmas at 01 6761494.

THE Coalition is facing massive public expectation of an easing of the austerity Budgets in the wake of the exit from the bailout, the latest nationwide poll reveals.

Fine Gael support stayed steady on 29 per cent. Labour gained 3 points to rise to 12 per cent at the expense of the main opposition parties with Fianna Fail down one point to 22 per cent and Sinn Fein down two to 15 per cent. Support for independents is unchanged at 22 per cent.

Nearly three quarters of voters, 73 per cent, want to see less spending cuts and tax hikes after the Troika's departure. But 23 per cent want to see the Government continue with the tough budgets to reduce borrowing.

YOUNG HURLER KILLED IN ROAD CRASH

A YOUNG man hurt in a road traffic accident has died from his injuries. Sean Cronin, from Cappataggle Co Galway, was a passenger in a vehicle that hit a ditch near Gort, Co Galway, in the early hours of last Sunday morning. He was initially taken to the University Hospital Galway, but was later transferred to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, where he passed away on Friday evening.

Mr Cronin was described as a gifted hurler and a spokesman from the Cappataggle GAA club, where Sean played, said "their thoughts are with the family".

GPS HIT OUT AT MEDICAL CARD CHAOS

Two bodies representing Irish general practitioners have claimed chaos has been caused by the Government's withdrawal of existing medical cards in recent months.

The National Association of General Practitioners said the GP system in Ireland is in a catastrophic state and expressed concern about the "immorality" of offering free GP care to those aged under five but funding it by taking cards away from disadvantaged people, those with serious medical problems and the elderly.

And the Irish College of General Practitioners which represents 90 per cent of GPs in Ireland said measures to move towards universal free health care, such as free GP care for under fives, were announced without consulting with the doctors who would deliver such services.

ICGP Chairperson Dr Mary Sheehan, said that GPs were seeing in their surgeries on a daily basis evidence of the hardship created by the removal of existing medical cards.

TWO HELD IN CANNABIS GROWHOUSE RAID

TWO men have been arrested following the seizure of €150,000-worth of drugs in a cannabis growhouse near Mallow, Co Cork.

Gardai uncovered the growhouse when they raided a property at Newtwopothouse at 10pm on Friday. They recovered in excess of 200 plants from growing tents set up in the house. Two Polish men in their 20s were arrested in connection with the investigation.

Garda technical experts also carried out an examination of the area from where the plants were recovered.

THE North's First Minister Peter Robinson has warned his DUP against complacency over the stability created by power sharing. At the DUP annual conference, he warned that the fallout from failure at Stormont would be conflict.

"Today we work with the Irish Government on our own terms and at our own pace – but without Stormont, you can be sure that Dublin would have its hands on the levers of power while those of us who live here would be left powerless and marginalised," he said.

PROBE OVER RECYCLING PLANT FIRE BEGINS

AN investigation is under way following a blaze at a waste recycling plant in Glanmire on the outskirts of Cork city.

The fire broke out on Friday night at the Greenstar plant at Sarsfield Court in Cork. Twelve units of the fire brigade fought the blaze for more than an hour. There was extensive damage in the incident, but no one was injured.

VETS WELCOME CURB ON TAIL DOCKING

IRISH vets have broadly welcomed a decision by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to ban dog breeders and other non-vets from docking pups' tails and dew claws.

Mr Coveney made the announcement last week, saying that it will be banned "except in circumstances where the welfare of an animal warrants such intervention". And in these cases it must be done by a vet or vet nurse.

The news was welcomed by Alan Rossiter, former head of Veterinary Ireland. "The minister has to be commended for his vision and commitment to animal welfare," he said.

CELTIC WARRIOR ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL

BOXING legend Steve Collins has finally secured a comeback fight – against an unknown British builder.

The 48-year-old Dubliner came out of retirement earlier this year in a bid to settle a long-standing grudge match with former four-weight winner Ray Jones Jnr.

But the ex-WBO Middleweight and Super-Middleweight champion said he is no closer to agreeing terms for the keenly-anticipated Cruiserweight bout, as he believes the 44-year-old American is running scared of him.

Collins will be back in the ring next Saturday to take on little-known builder, Steve Grieves, 54, in Leicester.

GARDAI SEEK HELP FINDING MISSING MAN

GARDAI are seeking assistance in tracing 81-year-old Thomas Chambers of Crumlin, Dublin. He was last seen on Dundrum Road Lower at 10.30am yesterday.

He was driving a blue Toyota Corolla estate (99D78572) and has failed to return home. He is described as 5' 5'', of medium build and with short grey hair. He is wearing a beige fleece, green cardigan, blue striped shirt, black cord trousers and black runners.

Anyone with information is asked to please call the Dundrum gardai on (01) 666 5600.